10 years
by kazot
Summary: Ziva returns! Set 2 years after her departure. Basically Ziva gets her head out lf her ass and returns to talk to Tony and settle things between them. Tiva. My final Ziva returns oneshot. Tony/Ziva happy ending. Contains massive 2kword rant on Tiva and Ziva's story in general at the end, you can read that if you're interested.


Disclaimer I do not own NCIS

_10 years_

It was an exhilarating rush that overcame her as she was picking the lock to Tony's door, she had seen his car outside so she knew he was home and hadn't moved in the two years she was gone. She didn't want to knock, she wanted to show Tony that although she had changed and for the better, that she was still his ninja, at least she hoped so. It was her biggest fear, Tony having moved on, even though she asked, no demanded him to do so, as she didn't know when or if she would ever come back to him.

When she finally opened the door she was met with a dark room aside from the light of the flat screen tv, Casablanca was playing and a figure laid slumped on the couch, a half empty bottle of bourbon on the coffee table. "Oh Tony." She sighed, not this again, she knew it would be hard for him, Tony never took loss well, especially not if it concerned women: Kate, Paula, Jenny, he beat himself up for every one of them she just hoped he hadn't put her leaving on that list.

"Tony." She whispered barely louder then bogart as he sat drinking mirroring Tony as they both wallowed in their misery over lost loves. He looked startled at her, his bourbon glass fell to the floor the liquid spilling all over, luckily the glass didn't shatter it just rolled under the table. "No, I'm seeing things." Tony sobbed, "I'm not event that drunk, you're not real, my mind it's betraying me, I was thinking about Ziva and Paris and what we had there, just like Rick and Ilsa. You're not real." He repeated.

She crouched before him cupping his face forcing him to look at her. "I'm real." She said softly but Tony refused to look at her, turning his head away as he closed his eyes.

"No you're not, it's the drink, I know I shouldn't. Ziva hated it when I drank, she didn't like it, she didn't like who it turned me into."

"Then why did you?" She asked softly.

"Because she died and I met her!" Tony said loudly as he pointed to two fish in a bowl.

"Tony I do not understand." A confused Ziva said.

"10 years, it's been 10 years to the day. Kate, I failed her, I was too busy making a stupid joke and didn't notice the sniper. I can still feel it when I close my eyes, her blood on my face as her lifeless body lay beneath me."

"And jenny, I met her then, she was nice to me when Gibbs left but then she used me, put me through hell and I hated her and it made me fail her, she died on my watch, I knew I should have listened to Ziva, my gut was telling me the same thing but I didn't want it to be true, I killed her! I know she was sick but she still had some years left and I robbed them from her."

Ziva was shocked, Tony was still talking as if she wasn't there and all those things he still carried with him from years ago, she knew about the day ten years ago, she had hoped to surprise him with her return on the day they met but she never knew he still carried the guilt from Kate's and others' deaths around.

"And Paula, I was dating her around that time, she also died on my watch, I was there and I should have done something but I failed her, just like everyone else."

"And Ziva is the worst of all, at least she made it out alive, she made the right decision going away from me, that way she's safe and I can't get her killed too. I hope she's happy. I hope she discovered herself, became the woman she wanted to be, maybe she even has that family she always wanted, god I should have just told her but when I tried she pushed me away and when she tried I pushed her away. I should have just manned up and told her but no I didn't and what did that bring us? the whole Rivkin fuckup, again my fault which led to her staying in Israel and the horrors of Somalia, I should have told her after Paris but no I didn't and she went of with Ray another spy boyfriend or fiancée, whatever, that hurt her again." Tony rambled, "Her taste in men really is awful isn't it?" Tony mused making Ziva laugh.

"Then I should have been there for her when her father died but I wasn't and she found her comfort in someone else's arms and instead of being there I was just behaving like a jealous asshole, I'm just a coward to afraid to claim her but getting angry when others did. Ziva would kick my ass if I said that to her, claim her! I'd be on the floor with a broken arm." He said with a smile remembering his ninja.

You're not wrong there DiNozzo Ziva thought smirking. "So I failed her most of all, the love of my life and I'm just sitting here, a sad old man, all alone with only my job to live for. I'm like Gibbs but at least he gets called boss and has his boats as company instead of two fucking goldfish."

"Tony listen to me." Ziva said cupping his face again. " Those things were not your fault, a lot of them were mine and you are not a failure and you are not alone, you told me that once and I didn't listen but now I'm telling you and I hope you won't make the same mistake I did, you are not alone." The last part she said with a pause between each word. "I came back, for you Tony."

"You're not real I'm just imagining stuff, the real Ziva is in Israel with a real man, not a useless schmuck like me."

"I'm here Tony, I'm real. Why won't you believe me?"

"Because I'm just dreaming about you, I do that a lot but when I wake up you're always gone and I'm still alone so I'll just wake up in a cold bed and go on with my miserable existence."

"But you're not dreaming Tony, your awake." She said and to prove her point she put her thumb on the pressure point of his hand making him squeal.

"That hurt Sweetcheeks, that really hurt, wait! What? maybe I'm not dreaming." Tony murmured. "Yeah!" He said in a sudden accusatory voice pointing at Ziva. "You're wearing way to much clothes to be in my dreams and your hair isn't down like in my dreams. It's always loose and curly like the day we met, oh how I love your hair."

Ziva couldn't help but smile. "I am here Tony, fully clothed and with my hair in a ponytail, I'm real."

"You're real." Tony said before repeating it over and over like a mantra.

Ziva grabbed the glass and the bourbon bottle and put it away, afterwards she cleaned the spilled bourbon before turning to the now happily smiling Tony.

"You're real." He said with a wide grin.

"Yes Tony, I'm real, now let's get you to bed."

"Surely I'm dreaming now." Tony said with a confused face but he let Ziva grab his arm and lead him as he drunkenly swayed towards his bedroom.

She put Tony who was already in his boxers and an old OSU shirt under the covers before turning to sleep on the couch but Tony grabbed her arm. "Please stay, I need you Zeevah." Oh how she missed the way he elongated her name.

"Tony I can't your drunk and…"

"I won't touch you, I swear, scout's honour." He interrupted, stupidly holding up the three fingered sign. "Not too much at least."

She chuckled softly. "Okay but I'm getting you some water to drink, your breath smells awful."

"Sorry." He said grinning sheepishly.

After forcing Tony to drink a lot of water, brush his teeth and a quick use of the bathroom, she found herself curled up in his arms and when she felt his breathing change indicating he went into a deep sleep she followed him.

* * *

When Tony arose he found his bed empty, her smell still lingering, was it a dream again? "Please no, not again." He groaned as he stood up a massive headache showing its presence. He checked the bathroom, the kitchen, everywhere but she was gone. Probably wasn't even ever there, he had gotten drunk again last night and he hated himself for it, he wanted to punch something or someone for giving him false hope again. He went to his drinks cabinet and started tossing bottles of various alcoholic beverages against the walls where they smashed into pieces and their liquids spilled on the floor before collapsing to the floor himself, turning into a crying, sobbing mess.

It was how Ziva found him as she returned with bags of groceries in her hands. "Tony what happened?" she asked shocked by the state of his apartment and more importantly him.

"I…, Ziva, you're real, I don't understand, you're real, please tell me you're real."

"I'm real Tony and I'm here." Ziva said annoyed by his antics. "I left you a note and some aspirin on the nightstand."

"Oh I…" Tony said stupidly rubbing his head on the spot where Gibbs usually slapped him.

"Panicked, didn't look around and jumped to conclusion." Ziva completed for him, shaking her head. "You're a trained investigator Tony, you should know better."

"Sorry you were gone and I thought the drink made me make up stuff again and…"

"Instead of dealing with your issues, you smashed all your alcohol on the walls like a healthy adult."

"God I'm such a fuckup aren't I?" Tony said with his head in his hands.

"No you're not Tony, you're just in a bad period of your life and I'm going to help you get out of it."

"Why? Why would you care about someone like me?"

"Because I love you Tony." Ziva said simply.

Tony was stunned. How could she just drop a bombshell like that so nonchalantly? back in Israel when she made him leave all she could manage was a 'you are so loved' which went on the piles of almost love confessions together with: couldn't live without you I guess, I'm tired of pretending and you ever think about soulmates?. "Why?" Was all he could utter out.

"Why? Because you're a handsome, funny man with the kindest heart I know, who always had my back even if I didn't want or deserved it."

"Not this self-hatred bullshit again Zi, I told you that you that you deserve the world and that it didn't matter, that my heart belonged to you, no matter what you did in the past."

"The old Ziva did not deserve you Tony, the new one does but not this sad remnant of yourself, I'm going to stay here and take care of you, bring back the Tony I love, the one full of life and silliness".

"You're staying?" He asked, voice filled with hope.

"Yes I am Tony, for as long as you want me."

"Forever?" He asked with sad puppy eyes.

"I'd like that." She said with a smile.

"Here?" He asked pointing his finger down, indicating the apartment.

"Yes Tony, I've already unpacked my bags."

"You didn't even ask."

"Well I knew you'd say yes." She said waving her hand as if it was obvious.

"Why?"

"Because you love me, Tony."

"Well that's awfully presumptuous isn't it Zeevah?" An air of their normal banter returning.

"No it isn't, you went to Somalia to avenge me, to die for me, you told me things you never told anyone else and you went to find me in Israel where you told me and I quote. 'I love you Zeevah please come back with me'."

"Are you mocking me miss David?" Tony asked with a playful grin.

"Maybe I am, my little hairy butt." She returned with a coy smile.

"Now go and take those aspirin and take a bath you reek of alcohol. meanwhile I'll clean up this mess you made."

"Did you just agree to be my housewife?" Tony asked with a wide smile as he followed her into the bathroom.

She slapped him on the back of the head. "More like a babysitter, you're a mess. One more such comment and I'm taking the next plane back to Tel Aviv."

"Sorry ma'am." He said with a wicked grin earning him another headslap but the chuckle that followed it warmed his heart.

"Zi I don't have time for a bath, just a shower, I have to work today." He said once he noticed the time.

"No you don't." She said as she walked past him to let the water flow into the tub. "I went to Gibbs while I was gone."

"What did he say?" He asked intrigued.

"He told me he'd let you take the day but I demanded a week and he agreed."

"How'd you convince him of that?" Tony asked genuinely impressed.

"Easily, he wanted his agent back, not the shell of his former self he had the last two years. He told me that he hadn't had the urge to headslap you anymore, unless you were sadly staring at my former desk instead of working but even then he couldn't get himself to do it."

"The Bossman is growing soft on me." He said with a stupid grin.

"He's worried Tony, everyone was apparently." She said with concerned eyes.

"Did he say anything about you returning?"

"He told me he was glad I was home and that I was staying and that he forgave me, although I saw he was still angry with me for leaving."

"Yeah I know but he forgives you, he loves you to much not to." Tony said matter-of-factly.

"Why aren't you angry Tony? I expected you to yell, to be hurt."

"Well I was angry, I probably still am, it's just like I said, I love you to much to stay angry and you leaving obviously worked, you look more carefree, happy and like you de-aged somehow and that makes me happy."

"Thanks Tony I'd say the same but you look like hell."

"Thanks zee, you really know how to make your boyfriend feel good."

"Boyfriend?" She asked with a cheeky smile.

"Well you already moved in with me without my consent and dropped the I love you bombshell without warning."

"We haven't kissed yet." Ziva said with a predatory smile.

"Oh that can be arranged." Tony said before capturing her lips with his for a long hard kiss.

Tony tried to move further his hands starting to roam freely over her body but Ziva stopped him, pushing him of her. "Not now, take your bath, you still smell like bourbon and no one wants to kiss someone who smells like their father."

"Just missing the sawdust and coffee, Sweetcheeks." Tony joked as he pulled off his shirt.

Ziva admired Tony's chest for a bit, he did gain some weight but he was still her furry bear. She'd always liked that about him, she left before all of Tony was revealed, there was time for the naked stuff later, when he was refreshed and not stinky.

She cleaned up the massive mess he'd made and had made breakfast when a much better looking and smelling Tony waltzed into the kitchen only a towel concealing his body.

"Much better," Ziva said with a coy smile before ripping off his towel and jumping Tony.

* * *

Ellie was worried, they all were as without warning Tony had taken a week off, something he had never done in the time she was at NCIS and had only informed Gibbs about it. McGee had tracked his cell and he was still at his apartment 3 days into his vacation, they knew he was lonely and feared a severe midlife crisis or something worse. So they had decided to check up on him and as the Probie she had automatically drawn the shortest straw, no one liked dealing with depressed Tony, fake smiles and 'I'm fines' combined with heavy drinking and old James bond movies were not a fun thing to deal with.

So she braced herself took a deep breath and knocked on his apartment door and after a short while the door opened revealing an exotic looking woman with wild curly brown hair, dressed in one of Tony's OSU hoodies. "Oh hey, I'm Ellie Bishop, I work with Tony, is he here?"

"Yes he is, he is sleeping however, he was very exhausted." The woman said with a coy smile, combined with the hoodie and the wild hair there was no doubt about what they had been doing.

"Oh, okay." Ellie said embarrassedly blushing. "Tony had taken some time of work and we were worried about him so I decided to come and check up on him."

"He's fine, just a bit flamed out I guess but I'm taking care of him now."

"Oh that's good." Ellie said confused about the incorrect idiom. "You must be?"

"His girlfriend, we have recently rekindled our relationship." She explained before diverting the subject. "Now I must go tend to my cooking, it was very nice of you to come by, it is good that Tony has co-workers that care so much." And with that Ziva gently closed the door. Ziva was glad she had not given away her name as they had decided to keep her return between them and well Gibbs so they had the whole week for themselves not wanting to share the other with the rest of the world. It had been magical really: 3 days filled with making love, cuddling as they watched movies, having sex, sharing baths, going out on dates and hardcore fucking, it really was amazing.

"So how was Tony?" Abby asked as Ellie and McGee assembled in her lab the next morning.

"I didn't see him, he was sleeping when I got there, his girlfriend opened the door."

"I didn't know he had a girlfriend." Abby said confused.

"Yeah that's weird." McGee added, "Normally he can't shut up about his conquests."

"He was at her apartment." Abby said deep in thought, "Tony never brings girls over to his apartment, it's his sanctuary, he only ever goes to their places."

"Well she looked very comfortable since she was cooking wearing only one of hoodies, she told me he was flamed out and that she was taking care of him." Ellie said.

"Flamed out?!" Abby said as she and McGee looked at each other.

"How did this woman look?" Tim demanded.

Ellie was confused by their 'look'. "Well she looked exotic with long curly hair, really beautiful and a lot younger then Tony but that's nothing new, oh and she had a funny accent."

"Oh, My, God!" Abby yelled as she and McGee shared another look, Abby unable to contain her excitement as she practically jumped on the spot.

* * *

"I can't wait to meet Ziva." Ellie said as she, Abby and McGee rode the elevator to Tony's floor in his building.

"Oh she's great." Abby said, "You'll love her."

"I still can't believe she's back," McGee said, "or that she's a couple with Tony now."

"Yeah and that she didn't tell us." Abby said angrily.

"Well maybe she just wanted some time alone with Tony first." Ellie said.

"Oh she definitely does." Abby smirked as loud noises could be heard as the elevator reached it's destination.

"Oh yeah Tony, give it to me, give me everything, I want it, I need it, I need it all! My Italian stallion!" Ziva yelled in ecstasy.

"Oh god, please no." McGee said holding his face in his hands.

"So Tony wasn't lying when he was bragging about his performances, he really is a sex god." Abby said smiling widely.

"Seems he isn't the only one." Ellie said blushingly smiling as now loud groans from Tony could be heard.

"God Ziva, I've died and gone to heaven!" DiNozzo yelled loudly. "You're so good at this, you're a goddess Ziva!"

"Let's go guys I heard enough let's have a drink and come back after a while." McGee said.

"What! McGee!" Abby said astonished, "This is some good stuff, people would pay for this."

"This is private Abby." A blushing Bishop said, "And I think we've heard enough already."

After over an hour and some drinks they came back.

"Oh for god's sake." McGee groaned as loud moans and cries of ecstasy were still heard throughout the building.

"For 3 stinking days they've done nothing else like a bunch of bunnies!" An elderly neighbour yelled, "And who the hell is ken!?"

McGee grabbed the two women and left again.

Another hour later they finally reached a quiet building and knocked on the door.

"Tony!" Abby squealed as the half-naked man opened the door jumping him and enveloping him in a hug, "mmm You smell like sex." She said smiling.

"Tony Is it true? is Ziva back?" McGee asked going straight to the point.

"Uhm no, as far as I know she's still in Israel like I left her, I'm here alone, catching up on some sleep." He lied badly.

"We heard you guys Tony." Ellie said smiling, "Too much really."

"It was quite the vocal performance." Abby laughed.

"Yeah well, Ziva can get quite loud." He smirked proudly.

"Not just Ziva, Tony." Ellie said smiling back.

"Oh well." Tony said widely grinning, "Now that the cat is out of the bag I guess you want to see her, I'll get her and uhm put on some pants."

"Yeah please do that," McGee said, "especially that last part."

"Zip it, McPrudish." Tony said walking towards the bedroom.

A sleepy looking Ziva came from the bedroom after a while, wearing the same OSU hoodie and some sweatpants her hair curly and wild, clearly she'd fallen asleep after their rigorous exercise. Tony came a bit later in similar attire.

"Ziva!" Abby yelled before running over and crushing her in a hug.

"Abbs let her breath, I just got her back, please don't kill her now." Tony said.

"Oh we have to talk about that! What we just heard was that just for his ego? or is he actually that good?" Abby asked exitedly.

"Hey! Of course I'm that good, we're talking about me here." Tony boasted.

Ziva just blushed and nodded.

"Oh she's amazing as well, thousand times better then imagined and believe me during those 8 years I imagined it a lot."

"Yeah we heard." Abby said, "You really call her a goddess during sex?"

It was Tony's turn to blush, "Not only during sex." Ziva said smiling.

"Guess I was right 8 years ago." McGee said awkwardly hugging Ziva, "And I'm glad you finally moved on from eye sex but could we please not discuss it?"

"We should take a vacation to the crystal white beaches of your homeland shouldn't we sweetcheeks?"

"I just came back, I'm right where I want to be." Ziva said standing on her tiptoes to receive a kiss from Tony.

At the confused look of Bishop Abby explained, "Deep Six, ever heard of it? Tim wrote it, it's based on all of us."

"Oh." she said now understanding, "Agent Tommy and Lisa huh?" She said looking at the couple.

"Yes that's us." Ziva smiled, "And you must be my replacement, yes?"

"Oh no, I don't see it like that, those are big shoes to fill and I…"

"Don't worry, I'm sure you're doing fine, I had to do the same thing so I know replacing someone is hard, if Tony gives you too much trouble I'll straighten him out." she said looking up at her boyfriend her hand stroking his chest in a gesture that was somehow both loving and threatening and caused Tony to gulp loudly.

"So what are you going to do? are you coming back to NCIS?" Abby asked unable to hide her exitement.

"No Abby, I'm sorry, I'm staying in D.C. now though so we'll still be friends, I'm going to college first and then afterwards I'm going to try and be a teacher but first I'm just going to enjoy Tony."

McGee groaned as the two started full on making out, "Didn't you two have enough just now?" He asked.

"Never Probie, I just can't get enough of her." Tony said before claiming her lips again, the three others disappearing from the room, only she mattered, she was his everything.

The end

Latter half of the show Ziva is #notmyZiva

* * *

**A/N:If you like this fic be sure to check out my other Ziva returns oneshots 'Not a Fish', 'Too Much Luggage' and 'I Hate You' on my profile.**

For this fic to work bishop basically needs to know nothing about Ziva so there's that. Also the screaming/dirty talk/whatever is meant to be that way: utterly ridiculous to bring some happy goofiness into the latter part of the story and to have maximum McGee annoyance. Also Tony beating himself up is just that I don't think he actually did anything wrong more on that in the rant below.

One of the things I hated about what Tiva turned into in the latter half of the show (post Somalia) was that instead of it being equal (she pushes him away then he her etc..) it became so heavily Tony sided that it became essentially an unrequited love story, which is stupid cause the tiva I fell In love with was sexy and funny with mutual teasing and heavy underlying emotions not bitterness, insane jealousy and heartbreak. So that's why Ziva is so direct and pushing for a relationship in this as a way of counteracting the show in which she honestly came across as a cold-hearted, selfish bitch which is again #notmyZiva (more on that in the rant below)

**massive rambling rant about Tiva incoming be warned it's a long one (all my opinion feel free to disagree or just skip if you're not interested):**

**(this doesn't really have structure goes off on massive tangents and is full of grammar mistakes and such but it's a rambling rant from the heart so I'll just keep it that way.)**

I fell in love with Tiva because it was funny sexy and just mega entertaining to watch, then for some reason they lost a lot of the sexiness in their banter in season 4 and it only kept decreasing (why? It was so fun) but instead of the sexiness we got more emotions (why not both? that would have been great.) and that kept building up, there was jealousy and sadness but also happiness and fun, they kept pushing and pulling each other away and towards a relationship and it was pretty even until the ending of season 6 and especially Somalia.

Somalia brought Tiva in disbalance for 2 reasons: 1. The push and pull was now firmly and almost impossible to even it out in Tony's favour, he went to avenge her, and he basically told her he loved her 2. A second of the 3 major story reasons that had to be overcome before they could reach a relationship had been overcome the three are namely 's commitment issues (solved with he Jeanne story line) being stuck between two worlds (Mossad-NCIS, Israel-America) and his infamous rule #12

So what basically had to happen was at the end of season 7 or during season 8 they had to get together or if they absolutely wanted to keep the dance going they had to put the push and pull into Ziva's favour somehow. They did the opposite, they gave Ziva a committed relationship(more on that shitshow below) and now the jealousy wasn't fun to watch anymore but painful(from sexy banter to unrequited love wohoo!) now Ziva's relationship with Ray was inexplicable to me while Rivkin I could understand (even though if they just didn't make him a drunk asshole and instead just a good guy with a different goal then our characters, it would have been so much better.) the Ray story line was stupid (used and abused by spies my whole life let me just date a spy instead of the guy whom I have a strong emotional bond with and basically confirmed he loved me what could go wrong?)

If they wanted to keep the push and pull dance going they needed Tony to be in the committed relationship (E.J. doesn't count, it came after Ray and was so clearly I can't have a Coca Cola so I'll have Pepsi, it's close enough.) while Ziva needed to be the one pulling again. But It would have been better if they just both started going for it since at this point with only one barrier left (Gibbs) they are just needlessly delaying thing. **You don't have to do Tiva but then don't give us the jealousy and sad longing looks, either shit or get off the pot, don't torture us with the possibilities.**

Also on the Gibbs being the final barrier, it would be an important moment in both their character arcs. Tony as a leader and Gibbs's successor finally standing up to Gibbs and fighting him over something would be a big step in their master/student relationship. While Ziva finally taking control of her life and destiny and deciding for herself what she wants and who she wants to be and fighting a father figure over it would also be a big part in her story.

But the characters don't get to complete their arcs in the show they make some progression at the start and it gets rushed to completion in like one episode at their end. They could literally have had one of the most popular romances on tv and a feminist symbol in Ziva that isn't fabricated and loved by both men and women if they just completed the story arcs that are natural to the characters:

Tony is a guy who due to his mother dying hasn't had a family since he was 8 and hasn't emotionally grown up, so his natural progression is the classic story of growing up in both an emotionally sense and as a leader and he basically does this by the end of season 4 he has been a leader for months and with the Jeanne story line he has literally forced himself to be committed to a relationship and found out it is something he wants instead of just random flings so Tony's story doesn't move forward (except in small senses) farther then that for the rest of the freaking story until he has to grow up, become a father and take care of Tali so he just jumps into an unsatisfying completion of his arch.

Ziva is someone whose whole life and ideology has been controlled by her father but when she founds out her brother went basically insane due to the cruelty of her father she makes the character defining decision to kill her brother and save Gibbs who she doesn't know because it's the right thing to do even if it goes against what her father taught her, this shatters her belief system and she feels lost so she comes to America to find a new belief system, a new identity, a new life basically and all that in the most symbolic place for a new start, America.

She will do this under the guidance of Gibbs a man who won her respect and eventually she will have to fight her father over it and be torn between her old world and her new one (the allegory with feminism is completely natural and obvious in this (a father/patriarch completely controlling a daughter's life, ideology and identity and her eventually fighting back and being defined by herself instead of him)).

We get bits and pieces of this in the first half of her story like when she taped those agents trying to frame her (I'm an investigator now) or her connection with Roy Sanders that really showed her human side (the dying guy and her only decent love interest (side note on this massive rant: I also dislike Damon Werth, seriously Ziva David who has been fighting against and training to beat men who are physically more powerful then her gets so overwhelmed and intrigued because steroids boy overpowers her by smashing her against a wall? Like its not a novelty for her she will have been overpowered in training by men hundreds if not thousands of times before, them trying to frame Ziva as the damsel in a King Kong movie really doesn't work for me, if you want to give someone a love interest just give them an interesting story or personality like my boy Roy and let it develop/explore a side of the main character we don't get to see otherwise. not assholes like Ray or Rivkin that we're meant to hate or a characterless hunk of meat like Werth and then please don't bring him back seasons later with the most basic action movie/video game character personality to awkwardly flirt with her so we get to experience more jealous Tony everyone's favourite thing that was fun the first 5 times and just sad the next 40 times they did it,(just wait for my rivkin/ray and how Ziva acted with them rant it's glorious, this rant makes me feel like such a feminist that I had to look down and make sure I didn't have free the nipple written on my chest.)

But ultimately Ziva's story gets ruined in season 6 and onwards because Ziva is never in control of her own story, her character defining moment gets robbed from her in a retcon, in the Rivkin story line she just basically sits around doing nothing while her asshole boyfriend (her boyfriends get framed as assholes, we get to see them mostly from Tony's perspective (gotta get that jealous Tony best thing ever apparently(it's not, it's cheap drama)) and we never get to see them not being assholes so I'll just assume they're assholes) so her drunk asshole boyfriend goes around ruining her relation with NCIS and America in general (I assume she wants to live and work there right?) but she just sits submissively around and only stands up to Tony, the guy trying to stop her from getting arrested for espionage/treason whatever it would be. Then Tony proves again that her father is a dickhead during his interrogation but she just obeys him again and we get the Somalia suicide mission.

Then she gets horribly raped and tortured off screen and we get to see nothing of the recovery or her dealing with it cause that's just something you can let happen to a main character and then basically act like nothing happened. Eventually she gets rescued, (does she even get to decide if she stays in America at NCIS or do Gibbs and Tony just decide for her?) And then we get the Ray story line and it's just a repeat of the Rivkin story line(long distance, mostly seen by audience from Tony's perspective, we are meant to hate him, being a spy) but more obnoxious and with less interesting elements (without the whole Ziva being stuck between worlds thing) again Ziva just does fuck all submissively waiting for his phone call like a good little girlfriend and just accepts his bullshit, like the empty ring box. Then we get her father returning and she just capitulates almost immediately and when he dies that's for some reason the most earthshattering moment ever (it seems the moment I described at the killing of Ari they put here which totally doesn't fit in my opinion) and because she apparently didn't change her morals at all and this show has a revenge boner(is it exclusively NCIS or America in general? I honestly don't know.) she kills Bodnar.

During that time because she got emotional, so of course she had to have sex with the nearest guy that wasn't called Anthony DiNozzo junior (the show writers would probably have her fuck senior before Tony cause that's just how they role) the guy that at this painfully clearly loves her. (I'm referring to Adam Eshel and Michael Locke btw) The comfort sex is something I never understood because to me she is a control freak with trust issues(guns everywhere etc…) so the last thing she would do when she is emotional and losing control is have sex (something that with her probably is all about control, again my opinion but it makes more sense to me)

Then after that they have the fucking audacity to have that berlin dance scene, that really got me angry (I have been shitting over your heart ever since you basically confessed your love for me almost 4 years ago, now I realise I love you only for me to friendzone you in the next episode).

So then as far as I know the actress got sick of it and left forcing them to write that shit ending to her story (they wrote themselves into the corner I absolutely do not blame the actress, I actually admire her for standing up for the character if that's what she did) so they rushed her storyline of finding a new identity by letting it happen of screen.

They could have had a sexy, funny intelligent character with a cool character arch and the possibility of being a feminist icon, basically a 10/10 character instead they had a disappointing 6/10 and only because her banter with Tony is so entertaining without it she'd be a 3 or a 4. (people have been trying to write and failing at the strong female character that is a fighter trope for a long time now: either they are completely asexual or are just eye candy or they are completely emotionless or too emotional. Ziva had a good balance for emotions and sexuality she however failed when it came to agency: she wasn't in control of her story. Ziva is still one of the best attempts at the trope she came a lot closer to being good then for example Gamora or Black Widow from the MCU.)

But hey, why would we want to see our 3 young main characters change and complete their arcs? we want to see the show be completely centred around Gibbs, a character that literally can't change because of his stubborn beliefs and hardly talks and never about his emotions. Gibbs should honestly just have been used as a father figure/guide for the 3 younger main characters and let them lead the story.

Instead we got just snippets of their stories here and there but at least we got what we really wanted: to see Gibbs interact with side characters for a whole season who we absolutely care fuck all about like that lawyer lady or the mind game lady instead of developing the MAIN FUCKING CHARACTERS WHO HAVE INTERESTING STORIES TO TELL AND CAN CHANGE.

Now if you agree with my rant you'll be glad to know that I've used all this hate and negative energy for my rewrite project which is basically redoing the show from the start of season 3 (after kill Ari) with the same cast of characters and setting but with a completely different plot (some inspiration for things I wished they went more in depth on) it will be divided in 10 books (book1 and 2 are just season 1 and 2), have 5 regular stories(case fics but more attention put on emotions and life outside of work) and 3 hype stories (beginning, middle and end) more info will be on my profile, or you can read some of my 'NCIS Rewrite Teasers'.

_Antha if you ever read this again you left a really long anonymous review and i'd like to respond so if you could pm me or something so i could do that (i take the time to respond to all reviews i think its only fair if they take the time to write feedback for me)_


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